Rear-view mirror for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A rear-view mirror for a vehicle, especially for lorries, includes a mirror housing in which at least one mirror glass is arranged and an upper arm, a first end of which is connected to the mirror housing and a second end of which is connected to a door of the vehicle. A lower arm, a first end of which is connected to the mirror housing and a second end of which is connected to the door in an area located below the level at which a lower edge of a side window of the door is located, where the second end of the upper arm is connected to a hinge which connects the door to the bodywork of the vehicle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a rear-view mirror for a vehicle,especially for lorries, comprising a mirror housing in which at leastone mirror glass is arranged and an upper arm, a first end of which isconnected to the mirror housing and a second end of which is connectedto a door of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

On a vehicle, like a lorry, rear-view mirrors are arranged on both sidesof the driver's cab, so that the driver can observe what is happeningbehind and along the sides of the vehicle. Such rear-view mirrors arealso called side mirrors. Rear-view mirrors are preferably so arrangedon the driver,s cab that the driver can see each mirror through the sidewindow of the door of the driver's cab respectively. In order for therear-view mirrors to be capable of adjustment for drivers of differentheights, the glass of the mirror is adjusted, so that it can be tiltedto different angles relative to the driver's cab and hence the driver.

Since the rear-view mirrors are arranged on the outside of the vehicle,attention must be paid to the effects which the airflow has. Thus, therear-view mirrors must be made stable and aerodynamic so that vibrationand wind noise and squeaking sounds are minimized. The shape of therear-view mirrors must also minimize dirt from the surroundings and fromthe vehicle in front getting caught on the side windows of the doors.

A rear-view mirror for vehicles currently used comprises a mirrorhousing in which a mirror glass is arranged. The mirror housing isconnected via an upper arm and a lower arm with a hinge to the vehicledoor at or below a level at which the lower edge of a side window of adoor is located. There is the desire to minimize vibrations and windnoise from the known rear-view mirror and to change the dirt situationso that less dirt is deposited on the windows of the doors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to achieve a rear-viewmirror for vehicles which minimizes the occurence of vibrations and windnoise and minimizes the occurence of dirt deposition on the side windowsof the vehicle.

This is achieved by means of a rear-view mirror of the type presented inthe introduction which comprises a lower arm, a first end of which isconnected to the mirror housing and a second end of which is connectedto the door in an area located below a level at which the lower edge ofthe side window of the door is located, where the second end of theupper arm is connected to a hinge, which connects the door to thebodywork of the vehicle.

Such a rear-view mirror is very stable and gives rise to little or novibration in the rear-view mirror. It has been found that vibrations ofa rear-view mirror give rise to a blurred image in the mirror. Thestable construction of the rear-view mirror according to the presentinvention means that the driver can see clearly in the rear-view mirrorwhat is happening behind and along the sides of the vehicle. Since thelower arm is connected to the door in an area located below the level atwhich the lower edge of the side window of the door is located, dirt anddust, which are directed by the lower arm, can be deflected away fromthe side window so that less dirt is deposited on it. By making theupper arm, the lower arm and the mirror housing as a single item asindicated in claim 4, slits and gaps, which can give rise to wind noiseand squeaking sounds, are avoided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is more precisely described in the following by means ofthe appended drawings showing an example of an embodiment, in which:

FIG. 1. shows a perspective view of the rear of a rear-view mirroraccording to the present invention, and

FIG. 2. shows a perspective view of the front of the rear-view mirroraccording to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1 and 2, two different perspective views of a rear-view mirror1 according to the present invention are shown. The rear-view mirror 1comprises a mirror housing 2 in which at least one mirror glass 3 isarranged. An upper arm 4 is with a first end 5 connected to the mirrorhousing 2, and with a second end 6 connected to a hinge 13 with the door7 of a vehicle. A lower arm 8 is with a first end 9 connected to themirror housing 2, and with a second end 10 connected to the door 7 in anarea located below the level at which the lower edge 11 of the sidewindow 12 of door 7 is located. In this way, dust and dirt from thesurroundings and/or from a vehicle in front are prevented from beingdeposited on the side window 12 of the door 7. The reason being thatbehind the arms 4,8, a negative pressure is formed, which directs theairflow and particles therein in a predetermined direction. Byconnecting the lower arm 8 to the door 7 in an area located below thelevel at which the lower edge 11 of the side window 12 of the door 7 islocated, the particles in the airflow are directed to an area beneaththe side window 12.

The door 7 is in a conventional way jointed to the vehicle by means ofhinge 13. The second end 6 of the lower arm 4 is connected to the hinge13. A hinge 13 usually comprises two parts 14,15 which are jointed toeach other. Thus, one of the parts 14 is firmly connected to the door 7and the second part is firmly connected to the bodywork of the vehicle.The second end 6 of the upper arm 4 is connected to 7 is connected tothe part 14 of the hinge 13 which is firmly connected to the door 7.

During assembly of the door 7, a displacement of the hinge 13 relativeto the door 7 may be necessary. In order to avoid stresses being formedin the arms 4,8 and the mirror housing 2 during displacement of thehinge 13, the upper arm 4 and/or the lower arm 8 can be fitted with anadjustment device 16 for adjusting the length of the upper arm 4 and/orthe lower arm 8.

The first end 5 of the upper arm 4 is connected to the mirror housing 2in an area located essentially midway between an upper and a lower edge17,18 of the mirror housing 2, and the first end 9 of the lower arm 8 isconnected to the mirror housing 2 at the lower edge 18 of the mirrorhousing 2.

In order to facilitate the turning of the rear-view mirror 1 towards thedoor 7 each of the upper arm 4 and lower 8 arm comprises a joint 19,20.

In order to avoid slits and gaps in the rear-view mirror 1, the upperarm 4, the lower arm 8 and the mirror housing 2 are produced as a singleitem. Wind noise and squeaking sounds, which can arise due to such slitsand gaps, are thereby minimized. The rear-view mirror 1 can be equippedwith electrically heated mirror glass 3 and electrical adjustment fororientating the mirror glass 3. By making the upper arm 4 and/or lowerarm 8 hollow, cables for power supply for electrical heating and mirroradjustment can be arranged inside the upper arm 4 and/or lower arm 8.

The mirror housing 2 and the lower and upper arm 4,8 are preferablyproduced in plastic and/or aluminium.

What is claimed is:
 1. Rear-view mirror for a vehicle, comprising amirror housing (2) in which at least one mirror glass (3) is arrangedand an upper arm (4), a first end (5) of which is connected to themirror housing (2) and a second end (6) of which is connected to a door(7) of the vehicle, characterized further by a lower arm (8), a firstend (9) of which is connected to the mirror housing (2) and a second end(10) of which is connected to the door (7) in an area located below thelevel at which a lower edge (11) of a side window (12) of the door (7)is located, where the second end (6) of the upper arm (4) is connectedto a hinge (13) which connects the door (7) to the bodywork of thevehicle.
 2. Rear-view mirror according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe upper and lower arms (4,8) each comprises a joint (19,20) whichfacilitates turning of the rear-view mirror (1) towards the door (7). 3.Rear-view mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the upperarm (4), the lower arm (8) and the mirror housing (2) are produced as asingle item.
 4. Rear-view mirror according to claim 1, characterized inthat at least one cable is arranged inside the upper arm (4) and/orlower arm (8).
 5. Rear-view mirror according to claim 1, characterizedin that the upper arm (4) and/or lower arm (8) comprise an adjustmentdevice (16) for adjusting the length of the upper arm (4) and/or lowerarm (8).
 6. Rear-view mirror according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe first end (5) of the upper arm (4) is connected to the mirrorhousing (2) in an area essentially located midway between the upper andlower edges (17,18) of the mirror housing (2) and the first end (9) ofthe lower arm (8) is connected to the mirror housing (2) at the loweredge (18) of the mirror housing (2).